“I’m fortunate to be able to do what I love and am grateful for all of the wonderful recognition I’ve received over the years,” said Sid Meier. “It is every kid’s dream to make it into the Guinness World Records and I’m thrilled to be a part of the prestigious book. I’m thankful to the many game critics who have enjoyed our games and hope they are as excited about our upcoming Civilization Revolution title as I am.”

And there, my friends, is why great men are great. They are never too proud to slip in a little marketing. Go read some more marketing in the official press release, while I apply some watercolor photoshop filter love to this great, great man.

Sid Meier Enters Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2008

As Industry’s Most Award-Winning Developer

Sid Meier, creator of the Sid Meier’s Civilization® franchise and Director of Creative Development at 2K’s world-renowned Firaxis Games development studio, has officially won more game awards than any other video game creator according to the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2008.The Civilization series boasts some of Sid’s most impressive game awards, including Sid Meier’s Civilization IV™, which was selected as Strategy Game of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) and 1UP.com. Next up from the award-winning developer is Sid Meier's Civilization® Revolution™, which promises to uphold the franchise’s gold standard.

Sid Meier’s awards for his game design genius are numerous. In 1999, Sid was the second person ever to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Computer Museum of America's Hall of Fame in 2002 and received a commemorative star on the Walk of Game in 2006. Meier was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards.

“I’m fortunate to be able to do what I love and am grateful for all of the wonderful recognition I’ve received over the years,” said Sid Meier. “It is every kid’s dream to make it into the Guinness World Records and I’m thrilled to be a part of the prestigious book. I’m thankful to the many game critics who have enjoyed our games and hope they are as excited about our upcoming Civilization Revolution title as I am.”

Built from the ground up solely for console and handheld gaming systems, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution features fast-paced, pick-up-and-play action involving strategic global domination and history's most intrepid leaders, as well as a highly competitive multi-player experience. Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution brings the renowned Civilization franchise to current gen consoles and handhelds for the first time, delivering the vast re-playability and unmatched addictive gameplay that has become synonymous with the works of Sid Meier. New graphical designs and a streamlined interface will transport the Civilization franchise to a level that fans have never seen before.

Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution is rated E10+ for everyone 10 and older and will be in stores beginning July 8, 2008 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo DS™. For more Civilization Revolution information, visit www.civilizationrevolution.com.

Master Chief fanatics jumped for joy then scratched their heads with the news that the director for the upcoming Halo movie had been named. Those concerned about the quality of the big screen adaptation let out a collective "Who?" then beat cheeks over to IMDB.

On the Wii front, tons of details, ranging from release dates to console color to hardware specs popped up on a major news site, only to quickly be pulled. Why? Looks like someone might have revealed a source. The unedited copy was captured by some eagle eyed readers.

Another juicy detail to be culled from said article, and a source of major speculation, was that IBM may be producing chips for a portable Gamecube. You remember that thing right? Better known as the pre-Wii?

Rockstar's controversial high school adventure beat 'em up Bully got lots of attention last week. The trailer made an appearance online, its most out of touch, most annoyingly litigious detractor made an appearance on basic cable, and it got tons and tons of press.

Brian Crecente sat down with anti-bullying interest group Bullying Online to talk about their opposition to the release of Rockstar's game. They remain suprisingly sane in both tone and argument. Funny how that works sometimes.

In less serious controversy, gamers every where with standard definition TV's cried foul at problems with Capcom's Dead Rising. I look at it as a strong argument for no more readin' in my controllable TV shows you Einsteins call "video games". Caveat emptor, y'all!

Rumor and speculation that Microsoft would be dropping the price of its Xbox 360 were scuttled this week as analysts fed the gaming community a little something they call "logic". Despite many years of schooling and in-depth market research, message board trolls were unconvinced.

But those looking to game on the (slightly more) cheap should be happy to know that Xbox 360 bundles started popping up in retail store databases, giving the "Wii60" one less reason to invest in that PS3.

Current 360 owners had some additional cheap-ass gaming to enjoy as both the Q Entertainment/Phantagram developed Ninety Nine Nights and Rockstar's Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis hit Xbox Live in demo format. I just downloaded in my pants, it's so exciting!

While Nintendo is enjoying huge success with their recently released cooking and English-training non-games, a bevy of future DS release dates of actual honest-to-goodness games was released from the fine PR folks. I'll be ordering my copy of Kirby Squeak Squad over the internet, thank you very much.

Some good news from the other side of the portable war, hit as the first Greatest Hits PSP titles made their way to store shelves. But don't worry, there's still no reason to eject your copy of Lumines. Aw. We kid.

There might be something exciting to play around Q2 of 2007 as it appears that The Elders Scrolls IV, better known as PC and Xbox 360 mega-hit Oblivion, might just be making its way to the PSP. Will Bethesda shut me up about no good RPG's for the PSP? Maybe!

Valve released the trailer for it's first person puzzle game, Portal, causing millions of Half-Life, Day of Defeat, and Counter-Strike fans to uncontrollably evacuate their bowels with glee. We're not sure how you could have possibly missed this last week, as it was everywhere — and for good reason. This game looks to blow off serious numbers of socks.

And don't miss this brief teaser for the other bonus available with Half-Life 2: Episode II, the extremely sexy Team Fortress 2 trailer.

Senator Hilary Clinton is looking to make video games a violence scapegoat, pushing the issue as part of her campaign platform, according to our sources. Will the "video game tax" become a reality or just another issue dodging talking point?

Microsoft finally let us know all about their portable entertainment device, the Zune. Err, sort of. It's not going to play games (yet), so don't flush your PSP and DS down the crapper, but will most likely feature that neato Live Anywhere whiz-bang-ery that Bill and crew were touting at E3.

Nintendo released the "Noble Pink" DS Lite in Japan last week, which prompted Brian "I Swear This Pink DS Is For My Wife" Ashcraft to snag one at the nearby Yodobashi Camera. Watch in awe as Brian queues up with other grown men looking to buy the latest girly portable.

Speaking of the DS, there have been some rumblings about minor hardware defects in the form of cracked cases. Our readers polled at about 14% affected, while Nintendo claimed it was less than 1%. Regardless of the ratio, Nintendo says they'll fix 'em for free.

Agenda gaming is hot, hot, hot! We're talking about title such as Christian feel-good RTS Left Behind: Eternal Forces. Brian "Kirk Cameron's #1 Fan" Crecente takes a look at video games that (ewww...) have a message.

Folks looking forward to the sequel to the best PSP launch game (and still best PSP game), Lumines, got a tiny flick in the nuts this week, as Buena Vista announced what musician's videos will appear in the Miz's next puzzler. For every up (Chemical Brothers - "Star Guitar"), there's a down (Hoobastank - "Born to Lead"). Time to reap, time to sow, etc.

Finally, we'll try to end on a humorous note. Tired of watching World Cup bully Zidane headbutt Materazzi? Neither are we! And neither are the folks at Ubisoft. Oh, you kids and your headbutting!

Rumors abound as Microsoft looks to enter the handheld market as early as this Christmas. Will it be a portable Xbox (aka Xboy)? Most likely, no, as Bloomberg makes reference to music and movies and not so much games. We're still predicting some sort of Live-functionality, with on-the-go versions of Live Arcade titles in the mix.

We've also heard rumblings that Nintendo's Gamecube redesign, better known as the Wii, could ship as early as September. Retails models are already in production, but Nintendo is silent. We continue to hold our breath for the slightest Iwata whisper.

Speaking of Nintendo, they were kind enough to take advantage of the PR opportunities of George Dubya's 60th birthday by setting him up with a Nintendo DS and a copy of Brain Age. I'd really like to see how I stack up against the prez in Calculations x 100.

Sony stirred up more ire from the politically correct stormtroopers with their Dutch advertising campaign for the ceramic white PSP. Not only did the internet give Sony Europe what for, but so did the NAACP and the vocal California state assembly speaker Leland Yee. Also see Kotaku's Florian give knee-jerk reactionary types the business!

Just so you're up to speed on all your rumor-mongering, there was a minor hubbub at the end of the week as a mysterious Apple logo appeared on the official PlayStation 3 site. Sony says the wild and crazy speculation is unfounded, that the quick blink of Apple goodness was just an error. Nothing to see here, folks, move along.

Finally, Kotaku is giving away a ton of free stuff all month long. All you need is commenting priveleges and a sharp wit. Keep your eyes peeled for your opportunity to compete for tons of schwag.

There has been a bit of a tizzy going on amongst the blogger crowd, with a 1UP contributor calling out Loco Roco's character design as... maybe a bit racist. Maybe stereotypical is a better word. We take a look at the issue from two perspectives and watch the e-fists fly.

More potential bad news for Take-Two Interactive as someone on the executive team might be indicted on criminal charges related to the infamous "Hot Coffee" scandal. It's only conjecture at this point from a Wedbush Morgan analyst, but the analyst in discussion ain't no dummy. Further, actor Roger Hill filed a lawsuit against the company, demanding payment for the allegedly unauthorized use of his likeness in Rockstar's homage to The Warriors. You're really eating into the executive escort fund, Rog. Cut it out.

Microsoft shot down rumors that it would be updating the Xbox 360 with an internal HD-DVD drive, after Toshiba execs hinted a reformatting might be in the works. Speculation about a firm 360 price through the holidays is brewing as rumors abound of an external HD-DVD pack-in bundle.

Nintendo of Japan unveiled the latest marketing ploy designed to get more girls and DS Lite collectors to drop another 16,800 yen: Pink! As the proud owner of a pink GBA, I am so looking forward to this coming stateside.

World of Warcraft addicts now have something else to drop their cash on: character transfers! Blizzard made the transaction process live, meaning overcrowded realms, grouping with strangers, and splintered accounts are no longer an issue. Okay, realm population is still going to be an issue, but who cares? Let's spend!

The PSP looks like it'll get a huge boost to its library, to the tune of some 7,000 PSone titles. Sure, there are assuredly some regional duplicates in there and we're still not clear how we'll use the R2 and L2 (and R3 and L3...) buttons and we'll wind up buying Tomb Raider for the third time, but we're in total denial with this great news.

A definitely fake Grand Theft Auto 4 screenshot popped up on the Web this week. We questioned it's credibility, then were handed some proof of how easy something like this is to fake. My rule for determining authenticity? I reflect on all the other leaked screenshots of GTA4 to come from Rockstar. All zero of them.

Like Geometry Wars but hate digital distribution? You're in luck! Microsoft's Peter Moore wants to bring your favorite Xbox Live Arcade titles to brick and mortar stores.

Nintendo boss Iwata says it's time for the industry to re-examine how it handles pricing (and pronto!). Citing slash and sell pricing practices and inappropriate dollar to value schemes, Iwata wants to stabilize the biz. I couldn't agree with him more.

Force feedback tech company Immersion's lawyers are still on the prowl, still scrapping with Sony and firing up the lawsuit machine, ready to take on Nintendo. Lots of posturing and digs at Sony's PlayStation 3 controller decisions follow.

And speaking of Sony's PS3 controller, the lads at PlayStation Magazine just want to show you how the two great tastes of force feedback and motion sensing taste great together.

In equally exciting law news, the UK Court of Appeals passed judgment on Sony's attempt to have the PS2 classified as a "computer" not a games console. Verdict? Sorry, Sony! Fork over that hefty tax check.

Congress tackled the burning issue of violence in video games, clearly our nations number one priority. Fortunately, greying Daily Show anchor Jon Stewart and gifted pool of writing talent took them to task on their total stupidity. Do not miss.

Prey, the long time vaporware FPS, became much more tangible this week, as the game went gold and took on the form of a downloadable demo. Expect the Xbox Live demo any minute now.

Finally, we got into a bit of a pissing match with IGN over some hilarious pranks pulled by the editorial staff. We're still angry about it too. And for the record, we're better pissers.

Xbox overlord Bill Gates announced that he'll be stepping down from his full-time position at Microsoft to focus on his charitable efforts. Considering that I still don't have my hands on a complimentary Xbox 360, I'm crying foul on his ability to give 'til it hurts.

But Peter Moore and crew are not giving up on Xbox 360 backwards compatability. No, sir! Pete actually admitted that BC is important to MS. But the proof is in the downloadable pudding, as some twenty-odd titles (mostly crap) were added to the growing list of supported original Xbox games.

In some wacky "Engrish"-style hilarity, Sony looks like they'll be firing their PS3 controller copywriter after this sperring spelling mistake was caught by an eagle-eyed Kotaku reader.

Blizzard banned some 30,000 World of Warcraft accounts, citing illegal third-party tools used for gold farming. In other account news, I deleted my WoW account after not having played for 4 months. A great weight has been lifted from my life and debit card.

On the positive PC side, Half-Life 2 Episode II details started to leak out of Valve, courtesy of the current PC Gamer. Check out the summary for more.

Finally, there were so many video highlights this week, here's a big long list of pure fun.

• Game Over! Stop-Motion Food Rocks Frogger
• The Greatest 5 Yr.-Old DDR Dancer Evar
• Super Mario Bros: Beat Box Edition
• GameLife Show Episode Five
• Life According to Space Invaders

Take Two, publisher of Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, received it's ruling from the Federal Trade Commission over the infamous "Hot Coffee" hidden sexual content incident. What was the punishment? Nothing really. Just a warning from the government. Still, Take Two did incur almost $25 million in losses in conjunction with the product's recall.

Footage of the Tomb Raider remake for PSP snuck out this week, much to the ire of publisher Eidos. First, the original Google Video was pulled, then all YouTube videos. It's looking good, but this was surely not how the Eidos marketing department wanted to reveal the game.

In other handheld news, every Nintendo fan's ultimate fantasy has been realized. Legend of Zelda alum Tingle is getting his own RPG, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Pink-Coloured Rupee Land! Surely, the title will be Americanized for its Western release, but we still expect the same effeminate mannerisms and copious prancing about for which Tingle is famous.

Sure, it's fun (and easy) to hate on 50 Cent's video game, Bulletproof. So fun, in fact, that the lead designer of the game let slip his distaste for working on such titles. Hey, I don't like showing up for my weekday job either, but these $200 jeans aren't gonna buy themselves.

What's the benefit to owning a PlayStation 3 on day one? Bragging rights, of course. Also, you may be the owner of a fully backward compatable PS2 playing device, sans software emulation, as the PS2 chipset may be included in earlier versions of the next-gen console. Suspect? Maybe, but who can guess what Sony will do these days?

Do you, or someone you know, have a World of Warcraft addiction? Now, there's help. Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants are set to open a detox center for console and PC gaming "addicts". Doesn't anyone just do heroin anymore?

Finally, it seemed that last week was full of DIY content. From the Xman portable to this homemade DDR pad to the Freetar beta release to this mutant Lego-Xbox-SNES monstrosity, it seems that gamers are more content than ever to make their own fun.

Sony got a bit a fanboy fury directed at them last week when rumors surfaced (again) that the pre-owned market for the PlayStation 3 would be essentially dead. But, don't worry, cheap ass gamers, you'll still be able to buy (and play) lightly scratched, greasy copies of Fatal Inertia come late December.

Valve software's Half-Life 2 gets the expansion treatment this week, with the further adventures of Gordon Freeman having gone gold last week. To keep the hype train a-chuggin', Valve also dropped some hints about the release dates of Episodes 2 and 3. Tattoo these dates on your chest! They will not change.

Halo 3 may just be right around the corner, according to reports that Master Chief's third outing is already undergoing multiplayer testing. With such a brief trailer shown at this year's E3, I'm still betting the title is a long way off, despite the fact that something is playable.

Former Nintendo sales and marketing veep and charismatic corporate stud Reggie Fils-Aime probably got a nice little bump in pay (and responsibility) when he was promoted to president of the American arm of the gaming giant. His predecessor also got a nice step up—he wasn't canned. Congrats, Reggie. I'll buy you a beer next time we hang.

On the Wii front, Nintendo dropped more solid details about pricing for their disruptive console. Citing a price of "not more than $249", but leaving out a definitive MSRP, leads some people to believe that the premium pack will reach the upper end price-wise, while entry-level packs will retail for less.

Internet sleuths dug up Wiikaraoke.com—a Web site that currently redirects to the Nintendo home page, but is clearly intended to be the future home of some karaoke product for the Wii. With the reveal of the Wii-motes included speaker, this shouldn't have come as a surprise to many.

Finally, in the happiest of news, Out magazine is gay for Link! They named him the "Hottest Video Game Character" in their newest Hot List. Just for the record, that's the rugged, mature Link from Twilight Princess, not the doe-eyed stubby elf-boy from Wind Waker.

One thing that's putting me into Console Launch Panic Mode is that EB and Gamestop won't open up pre-orders for the PS3 until the fall. Why? My local EB register girl cites a lack of confidence in Sony's ability to meet demand in November and looking to avoid nerd riots similar to the Xbox 360 launch. She also made an off-hand comment that Wii pre-orders may come earlier.

Speaking of the Wii and PS3, the Nintendo UK boss had some not so nice things to say about Sony as he was pushing them under the figurative bus. We all know that Sony prefers to assimilate, not innovate, Mr. Yarnton. It goes without saying!

Other Nintendo talking heads that let the Kotaku team bend their ear during E3 were gaming god Shigeru Miyamoto and mini-game demi-god Goro Abe of Wario Ware fame. Check out both video interviews for some translated hi-jinks.

On the Xbox front, it looks like those big brained hackers have broken the firmware for the Xbox 360, allowing certain versions of the console to potentially illegally copied and modified games. Obviously, Microsoft was not pleased.

Don't miss James Wagner Au's feature on "This Year's Leroy Jenkins" the overly vocal World of Warcraft guild leader that will become internet famous right before your eyes. James snagged a brief interview with the profilee, which makes for an entertaining read.

To get the ultimate wrap-up of random E3 awards and nominations from the editors at Kotaku, we present our E306 Kotaku Awards, with such coveted awards as Emptiest Booth and Worst Movie Tie-In Game That Might Actually Be Good and Most Useful Swag in a Life-Threatening Water Evacuation.

Finally, for a fun diversion to wipe out that "case of the Mondays", check out Kotaku reader Anthony's Post-It Note pixel art project/desperate cry for a girlfriend. Just kidding, Anthony! Love you. For more fun gaming art, check out the Resident Evil Lego block project and Ready Made's profile on ROM hacker artist Cory Arcangel. You're, like, cultured and stuff now.

Nintendo had a strong showing with it's Wii and DS. Check out our liveblogging of the Nintendo press conference for a blow-by-blow description of the event. Nintendo followed through with a strong line up, including games like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Super Smash Bros. Brawl (with surprise guest Solid Snake), Wario Ware: Smooth Moves and so much more. Nintendo's rumored $249 price point might make your PS3 purchase a little easier to swallow. You can check out all of our Wii coverage here.

Sony also made waves of their own at their highly anticipated press conference. Unfortunately, the excitement petered out somewhat when they announced that you'd have to drop $500 or $600 on the PS3. Still, there were a ton of game announcements and demos, as well as neato controller functionality and PSP emulation updates to help stave off sticker shock. Check our hands-on impressions for more.

The final Big Three player Microsoft held its more understated presser just after Nintendo, dropping the bomb everyone know was coming: Halo 3. A bit more surprising was their "day one" deal with Rockstar to get Grand Theft Auto IV to release alongside the PS3 version — with a handful of Xbox 360 exclusives — and their Live Anywhere technology. You can read our cynical take on the whole thing here.

On the third party front, RPG monolith Square-Enix announced dropped some major Final Fantasy details. After showing off the Final Fantasy XIII trailer for the PS3, they went on to reveal two more FFXIII titles as well as exclusive Wii and DS software.

In addition to showing a new Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer, Konami and Kojima Productions finally gave PSP gamers what they wanted from day one: a true MGS for PSP. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops will ship for the PlayStation Portable next year.

For more exclusive coverage of E3, be sure to check out our Kotaku Stalku and Justify Your Game stories, or peruse virtually everything we did from just one post.

The Nintendo announcement brought not only hate, but conspiracy theories that Nintendo was just testing the waters or simply punking us.

On the positive Wii side, the wii-mote version of Madden from EA looks like it will take full advantage of the motion sensing abilities of Nintendo's wee console. Will the Madden crowd go for it?

One last bit of news from the Wii front was Sega's announcement that the popular Super Monkey Ball franchise would hit the console soon, under the name Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. Expect more at E3, including a launch date.

In non-Nintendo news, Xbox Live subscribers will have something else to look forward to: E3 coverage. Microsoft's Peter Moore said that his company will "bring E3 home to Xbox Live members as best we can, all the videos and the news as quickly as possible". Neat!

James Wagner Au's look at the "Power Elite" of Second Life wraps up with his top five e-A-listers, so if you missed part one, check them both out now. Also check out Au's latest controversial Preview Ho column, profiling Ubisoft's sketchy marketing tactics and PC Gamer's questionable preview stylings.

Puzzle fans were glad to hear that Tetsuya Mizuguchi and company were bringing Lumines Plus, Lumines II, Every Extend Extra and Meteos Disney Edition to North American consoles and portables, courtesy of Buena Vista Games.

Finally, do yourself a favor and check out the pulled-from-the-depths Dead or Alive movie trailer then spend your earmarked DOA: The Movie dollars on something else.

Additionally, Nintendo is giving a trio of lucky gamers to play the Revolution before anyone else. Exciting pre-E3 waggle fest!

EA finally pulled the veil off of the long awaited Command & Conquer 3. Can EALA breath new life into the RTS genre? We'll find out in 2007.

Namco too had a bit of a surprise announcement last week, unveiling first screens (via Famitsu) of Ridge Racer 7 for the PlayStation 3. Expect to see a lot more of these types of reveals in the coming week.

Brian C. sat down with clothing mogul and budding game producer Mark Ecko to talk about his game and his vision for the industry and most importantly, Bob Ross.

Soon you'll be able to play with Paris Hilton and remain disease free. Gameloft announced that they're partnering with the hotel heir for mobile casual games starring Nicky's less attractive sister. Who's excited?!

James Wagner Au graced Kotaku with another Second Life feature, beginning his personal top ten of the most elite and influential citizens in the 180K strong MMO. Keep your virtual eyes peeled for the rest, coming soon.

Surely, we all know the advertising industry is slimy, but the Ubisoft marketing team proved just how slimy they can be with this intensely misleading Splinter Cell: Essentials print ad.

Finally, (OMG) Guitar Hero II was announced! This is definitely the Best Week Ever(TM).

Sony's PlayStation 3 is doomed for failure. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're going to cancel it. Oh you want reasons? Well, first of all, they can't fit all the technical wizardry in the box! And... and get this: they're still shopping for components! Ken, seriously, just give up already. There is no way you're launching this thing ever. The undeniable fact that E3 most likely won't even have a single PS3 on the show floor just clinches it. Too bad, really. I was looking forward to E3 until now.

The good Rev news is that Nintendo expects some 20-odd launch titles. That's good news for gamers but bad news for Mr. Wallet, who's really starting to get pissed with all the unnecessary purchasing this year. For more details on what an ass you're going to look like playing all 20 of these games, here's some photographic evidence.

Yes, Burger King is getting more involved with video gaming, most likely in an attempt to tighten their stranglehold on the twenty-something market, and yes, they are pissed at Kotaku for posting the details. Oh, the lovely lovely details. Watch this space for more from the King and His Royal Attorneys.

Brain Age for the Nintendo DS starts its official American domination this week, and our man in Japan Brian Ashcraft sat down with the real life prof who's polygonal visage you'll see throughout the non-game. If you're a fan of infra-red spectroscopy and the prefrontal cortex of the bilateral hemispheres, do NOT miss this one.

On the other end of the brain spectrum, it would appear that all this gaming I've been doing is closely related to my rage, boozing, and smoking of illegal substances. I'm not passing judgment on anyone who's imbibing while playing, I just want to know: who can I sue?

Speaking of the decline of civilization, do not miss the Girls of CS, the "online gaming community and nude pinup gallery" that pretty much wraps up my Saturday mornings into a tidy little package. I think I speak for all of us when I say, thank God someone has finally brought boobs back to gaming.

The best news of the week? Gitaroo Man is coming for the PSP. Hallelujah!

The PlayStation 3 rumor mill was definitely... milling this week with price speculation spinning it nearly out of control. Fortunately, the PR folks stepped in to clear up the issue. Kids, don't expect real pricing details on the PS3 until (I'm guessing) fall.

Microsoft held a press conference in Japan last week to talk about the company's future releases, including new RPG's from Tri-Ace and, well, not much else. Stateside, the company welcomed Lionhead Studios to the collective, adding Peter M's uniqueness to its own.

Third-place console king Nintendo now has at least one official game for its Revolution console. The latest Game Informer has pics of Red Steel, the first person shooter from Ubisoft. Despite the Rev's underpowered specs, the shots look pretty damn good.

Now that Apple has released Boot Camp, Mac gaming is looking less like a barren wasteland and more like a dual-boot hassle dream! Videos of folks playing Oblivion and Half-Life 2 at (near) max detail gives potential MacBook Pro owners hope for the future.

Rockstar dropped some more screens and video of its Xbox 360 exclusive Rockstar Presents Table Tennis. Probably not the exclusive Microsoft was hoping for, but the thing looks damn fun regardless.

Ready to *gag* trick out your Oblivion steed? Now you can thanks to the Xbox Live Marketplace (and sadly the PC) with a mere 200 points (about a buck sixty). Is this what the world of gaming is coming to? Time to bail out! I really wonder how much those Oblivion mods are going to cost. I mean, with the topless mod being free, why should I pay for anything else?

Finally, some more grist for the rumor mill are these PSP shots that are allegedly the recently revealed PS1 emulator. Fake? Probably. Exciting? Yes!

Almost anyone with $400 in their pocket and the desire for Microsoft sanctioned gaming goodness should have their hands on an Xbox 360 at this point. Supplies were plentiful for the first time in many weeks, with Microsoft getting hundreds of thousands of consoles out to retail stores through the week. I'm still a bit surprised they're having supply issues and that seeing one in store is newsworthy.

Microsoft's Peter Moore (and others) also gave up some details on what's in store for the future at the company's entertainment division in his Blogger Breakfast. Brian and Joel were on hand to pester Peter about all sorts of gaming topics, so check out the audio right here.

Also in stores this week was the highly anticipated Disney themed RPG from Square-Enix Kingdom Hearts II. Unfortunately, its release also met with the harsh realization that your "reserved" copy of games at your local Gamestop may not actually be reserved for you. Die, specialty stores, die. Let's hear it for digital distribution!

Some good news from the next-generation camp is that Nintendo isn't just low-balling console prices, it's also going to release it's software on the cheap. Boss Iwata says that he can't see first party Revolution software retailing for more than $50 (aka the New Cheap). My wallet thanks you, Iwata-san! But here's the potential bad news: the specs for the Rev were revealed based on IGN's insider information and they are underwhelming to say the least. Not too surprising, but still potentially disappointing.

It looks like the UMD movie is going the way of the Beta Max. Overlord retailer Wal-Mart is reportedly dumping the PSP dedicated movie format as Hollywood scoffs at future UMD releases with some declaring the format "another Sony bomb". Ouch.

The latest "Preview Ho" column takes a look at the paid promotional schemes at uber-video game sites Gamespot and Gamespy. This is a must read if you are a regular visitor to those sites.

What's the real story behind Michael Jackson's involvement in Sonic the Hedgehog 3? Find out here, with this extremely in-depth look (and listen) at the musical history of Sega's blue mascot and MJ. It's the week's most bizarre and fascinating video.

Speaking of videos, this hilarious Christmas morning family video of some young hardcore gamer (and scary Nintendo fan) shredding wrapping paper and freaking the hell out made the rounds this week. Further proof that YouTube is the best site in the world.

Make sure you check out the details on Kotaku editor Brian Crecente's gaming room. His sweet digital pad is impressive, not just for the technical specs, but also for the redundant Xbox 360's and PS2's. I'm still rocking a 27" CRT from '97, but if you've got something more impressive, show it off by entering the Kotaku Best Gaming Room contest.

Finally, from the PSP WTF department comes Sweet Paradise, a simple minded dating game featuring some really cute girls — who just happen to range from 11 to 14 years old. No, I won't tell you where to import this thing, you monster.

Sony dropped some major PlayStation 3 bombs at Phil Harrison's keynote including details on the PlayStation network, new game demos and so much more, including potential region-free PS3 gaming. Hallelujah!

Nintendo's keynote was much more subdued, focusing on the success of their Brain Training products and minor details about the Virtual Console service. Iwata's most exciting bit of news revealed at the Game Developers Conference was that Genesis and Turbografx 16 games would be available for download alongside all those NES, SNES and N64 classics.

Iwata also showed a quick preview of the first Zelda title destined for the Nintendo DS, named The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. It's 3D Link, in the toonish Wind Waker style, but with neat stylus control! Put your pre-orders in now!

For some bad bad Zelda memories, make sure you check out the videos from the Philips CD-i versions. Warning: your childhood may be destroyed with a single viewing and no video can be "unwatched"!

Microsoft was relatively quiet this week, only talking about increased Xbox 360 supply and their strong spring line-up of next-gen titles. The only bad news to come from the MS camp was that you're gonna need a beast of a machine to play the Vista-only Halo 2.

If you're looking at Second Life, wondering what all the fuss is about or are looking to get the most out of your online social tedium, check out Brian Wagner Au's feature "The Gamer's Rough Guide to Pwning Second Life". It's one of the few references to furries on Kotaku, so don't miss it.

We've known it was coming for a long time, but at GDC, Sony showed off God of War II the sequel to last year's PlayStation 2 action hit.

Finally, if you didn't catch it on Friday night, Blizzard let slip that Starcraft: Ghost, the extremely late console entry in the Terran vs. Zerg vs. Protoss mythos, was, well, slipping again. For better or worse, don't expect to play it on your PS2 or Xbox ever.

Obviously, the biggest news of the week was the first info to come out of the Sony camp in a long time. After rumors that the Spring launch wasn't going to happen, Ken Kutaragi and crew announced a delay for the PlayStation 3 launch until November of '06, but partnered that with a bit of good news — the next-gen beast will see release globally, with Sony promising a steady stream of consoles.

They also shoved in some PSP news bits, announcing a PlayStation 1 emulator, and GPS and Eyetoy functionality. No new games were announced, shown or hinted at.

And how did the industry react? It went into spin overdrive! From CNN/Money to Nintendo to Microsoft, it seems everyone had to put in their two cents.

On the other side of the world, Microsoft and Rare studios finally dropped details on Viva Pinata! Check out the first screens, obligatory kids cartoon and the official site for more on this hyper-cute Xbox 360 title.

The Bully hate machine started idling this past week, as Miami-Dade area citizens moved for boycotts and blacklisting retailers who carry the title. Expect one of these anti-Rockstar crusades per week until the game hits shelves in the fall.

Can the studio responsible for Catwoman really innovate? That's the question from Kotaku and Businessweek have to ask as EA looks to fresh gameplay and less reliance on licensed content. Will new IP like Spore drive the company, while Madden pays the rent?

The Napoleon of Nintendo, Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, was honored by the French last week and granted the title "Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor". Insert xenophobic American joke about the French here!

The most amazing video game collection ever was revealed last week, with walls (and floor) packed solid with thousands upon thousands of titles. The truly astounding thing is that whomever is responsible for said collection also tricked some woman into having sex with him, resulting in real-life offspring! Quite a feat, and something we're looking for a FAQ on.

Wanna get your geek rock on? Check out Galbadia Hotel, who have a mega repository for video game soundtracks that's almost too good to be true (and definitely too good to last). We're downloading some Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan tracks as you read this (and retaping our glasses).

Finally, just to get you up to speed with all the rumors, here are the question-marked headlines of the week! Yuji Naka quitting Sega? Katamari team disbanded? Silent Hill remake in the works?

The PlayStation 3 looks more and more like it will ship this fall, at least in North America, and not the Spring '06 date Sony touted at last year's E3.

The Final Fantasy XII Potion was in convenience stores in Japan last week, and our braver taste-tester in Japan nabbed us some "tongue-on" impressions.

More Guitar Hero? Yes! A proper sequel is on the way, with another half-dozen or so SKU's in the works by Q3 of 2007.

Sony continued to creep up, confuse and catch heat for it's UK PSP advertising. I'm pretty sure I know what "white bits" are, but I've yet to get any on my PSP.

After "re-launching" the Nintendo DS in DS Lite form the previous week, Nintendo re-re-launched the dual-screen handheld again, when the delayed enamel navy and ice blue versions hit streets. The turnout was massive. The buying adventure was frantic, frightening and ultimately frustrating. Demand was so strong, Nintendo even pulled advertising from Japanese television.

Blizzard followed up with LGBT-guild gamers and Lambda Legal to update and clarify its policy on the discussion of sexual preference in World of Warcraft.

Is the most recent Xbox 360 software update causing issues with hardware? Looks like Microsoft and the Live team are investigating.

Finally, our European correspondent Alice Taylor attended the Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego and gives us the goods on The Creative Power of Second Life.

Sony pushed for PlayStation 3 online game development with Korean game makers and KIPA, a Korean government agency that promotes IT, a huge market for online gaming and a quickly growing development region. Apparently, things didn't go so well. Will Sony get its online act together in time?

Speaking of Sony, they nipped some early details on God of War 2 and Gran Turismo 4 Online Edition right in the digital bud. After Eurogamer posted details mid-week, then pulled them at the behest of some nice lawyer-types, Sony reps officially denied the leaked info. What gives? Sounds like someone shot someone else's marketing load a bit too early for corporate's tastes.

One last noteworthy Sony bit is this little rumor going 'round that the PS2 would evolve into Sony Computer Entertainment's answer to the Nintendo "Revolution" by further integrating EyeToy functionality into the console and/or controller itself. Stinks of this-guy-I-know rumor mongering, but doesn't sound that unreasonable.

Those finicky government types who like to regulate marketing "lies" put the kibosh on Activision's U.K. television advertising for Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty: Big Red One, citing that the adverts misrepresented the game's real-time capabilities. If you've never seen them, the ads showcase none of the game's in-game graphics, instead opting for clean, cinematic prerendered sequences. This is known in the biz as "slimy".

Commemorating the final retail demise of the still-born Gizmondo portable, Tiger Telematics exec Stefan Eriksson had his Ferrari Enzo ripped in half, quite unintentionally. News of the crash led every single sucker who actually paid for a Gizmondo to smile with glee in perfect harmony. Further details crept out over the weekend.

In other failed venture news, Infinium Labs Phantom console received its final coffin nail, with only the questionably useful "lapboard" keeping the Phantom legacy alive.

And if you ever find yourself in Japan, and would like to visit Nintendo HQ, check out our visual guide to getting there by train. If you feel like snagging some coffee and pizza on the way, with a side of karaoke and pachinko, it's an invaluable resource.

Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America bigwig, did a lot of talking this past week. He spoke to the Mercury News about his thoughts on the Xbox 360 launch and Nintendo's next-gen vision, again to Brand Week about, yup, the Xbox 360 launch, the PS3 and Nintendo's next-gen vision, and very late in the week to G4 where he dropped a Twilight Princess delay bomb.

Rockstar made headlines again when the Grand Theft Auto series drew ire from yet another group, the Sex Workers Outreach Project. Apparently, they don't like the fact that you can pummel to death scores of prostitutes without fear of repurcussion.

Speaking of outrage, did you see these new Bomberman: Act Zero scans? Can a Bomberman filled with generic rage win over Xbox 360 owners? Will cutesy Bomberman afficionados sign up for Xbox Live bomb battles? Are we living in Bizarro World?!

Nintendo revealed at their recent corporate conference that Nintendo DS owners will now be able to use their favorite double screened device to surf not only the Web, but their favorite over-the-air TV shows. Screens and mockups are here, with con photos here. Later in the week, Kotaku finally got its manly foreign correspondent hands on a real life Nintendo DS Lite, which sees wide release in Japan just ten days from now.

Obviously the most important news from last week was the promo shot heard 'round the world, this photo of the new Lara Croft spokesmodel. Early screens look good, but we're hoping for more "hands on" time before we post any in-depth impressions.

Over a thousand Kotaku readers sounded off on what they feel are the biggest challenges facing next-gen games, the developers who make them, and the gamers who love them. It's patently obvious that the Kotakuan population are sick and tired of this gen's glut of sequels.

Earthbound fans got their first look at screens of the highly anticipated RPG Mother 3 last week. The GBA title has been under wraps since its announcement, with constant teases in the form of logos, soundtrack tidbits, and developer hints. No official North American release has been announced.

And finally, the Second Coming of Christ is apparently shipping before the end of 2006, according to Jesus' appearance on an Xbox 360 box. Sadly, such an event only inspired crass commercialism, which you can be a part of for a mere $3400! Amen.

Microsoft is all about PC gaming this week, yet they don't want those millions of XP users to play 2004's Halo 2 unless they move up to Windows Vista. Personally, I can't wait to upgrade... to a Mac OS.

Black and gold doesn't mean just a Steelers Super Bowl win, but that Criterion and EA's first-person shooter is ready for manufacture. The highly anticipated title from the house that Burnout built ships at the end of the month. Kotaku waits with bated breath!

Gizmondo, the little portable that never could, finally gave up the ghost. Gizmondo Europe's stock, assets, and employees are all on the way out, to virtually no one's surprise.

Speaking of financially screwed, Atari is suffering from quarterly losses, product delays, a loss of its credit line, and a CFO who jumped ship. Will Atari, aka Infogrames, survive 2006?

More Nintendo DS Lite details crept out throughout the week. From "spy" photos, to new colors, to the instruction manual, these tidbits only made us want a new DS more more more!

Finally, Kikizo got some PlayStation 3 lovin' and bragged all about it but kept most of the more desirable details to themselves. Speculation ran rampant, based on early hardware and software, so we'll see how Sony responds at the upcoming Taipei Game Show.

Our fearless leader Brian went to amazing lengths to make a fool of himself, showing that it's quite possible to (almost) sync up Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution Party for some serious musical embarrassment. Get your nightvision goggles and a pair of earplugs for Kotaku's strongest video since its inception.

Blizzard continued to catch heat for their don't-ask-don't-tell guild policy that prohibits gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender identifiers. The Lambda Legal group began its private investigation of the legal ramifications of "discrimination" against World of Warcraft players who, you know, are, like, gay and stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Really. Don't sue me, please. Some of my best friends... oh, I'll shut up now.

Thompsonsoft released the best, most disturbing, freely distributed video game to ever come from the mind of a litigious Miami lawyer, "I'm O.K.". How's that for a box quote? Shoot little girls in the face, brain dogs, face the wrath of grenade wielding lawyers—all in 16-bit glory. It's already 2006's first "must see".

Metal Gear stud Hideo Kojima also squashed rumors that Alone In The Dark director Uwe Boll would forever tarnish the tightly-controlled Konami franchise with a C-level film adaptation. No word on who would be given the director's chair, but I think most of us are just glad its not going to be "from the man who brought you Bloodrayne".

Finally, speculation ran rampant when Blizzard posted job openings for an unannounced PC title from the team that brought us Diablo and Diablo II. Everyone, including the Kotaku staff, summarily wet themselves, then waited with baited breath for anything official from the Blizzard PR department. Sadly, nothing has been confirmed yet, but watch this space!